Funny

I got a call from my oldest, Johnny,
The big-shot lawyer, the one with
The yacht. He was crying. He told
Me he lost his job. He wanted to
Know if I'd spot him some cash.
I said I'd see, then I hung up and
Wondered. The world has changed,
A couple times over, since we were
His age. I wanted to laugh. When
We got out of high school, we didn't
Have college. We went to the union,
And got on the line, bolting up Chevys.
It wasn't so bad, and, when we'd leave
At night, we'd see acres of cars, proof
Of our worth, a world made richer by
Things that the bunch of us numb-skulls
Had made. But that boy wanted none
Of it. He was too smart. “Nobody
Gets rich making things anymore,”
So went off to college, and law
School. He learned to move paper
For money, and kept his hands clean.
When he came to the house, he
Would act like a nobleman, turning
Down dinner, sneering at Molly and
Me, and bragging. “Just look at this
Watch. It's platinum, from
Switzerland, Dad, and my car.
Is no Chevy. It's German.” His wife
And his kids would sit, bored, in
The living room, waiting to go.
You and I, Johnny, were lucky. We
Made it to sixty at work, and went
Home with our pensions. Others
Were laid off, and, now, the plant's
Closed. Cars come from Mexico,
Parts from Japan. They don't make
A damned thing around here anymore,
But my son didn't care. He just kept
Moving paper. The country grew poor.
They cut back our pensions, and
Those who are working, well, they
Work for shit, bagging groceries or
Cleaning the homes of the rich. Finally,
Now, having eaten the people, like us,
Who had made things, and what we
Had made, all those lawyers and brokers
Have run out of food. They're consuming
Each other. Too bad for my son, but,
Johnny, I still want to laugh.



Poetry by Lawrence Beck The PoetBay support member heart!
Read 20 times
Written on 2010-03-10 at 22:18

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